
Chapter 5 : 13-21.—Conclusion.
t. Intercessory love the fruit of faith. Chapter 5 : 13-17.
2.
The sum of the Christian's knowledge. Chapter 5:
18-20.
3.
Final injunction. Chapter 5:
21.
Perhaps our first impression on looking at the headings of the smaller
sections would be that these subiects have not much connection with
one another, and that the order in which they come is more or less a
matter of accident. This impression would be erroneous. Fellowship
with God involves consciousness of sin, and its confession with a view
to its removal. This implies obedience to God, which finds its highest
expression in love. Love of God and of the brethren excludes love of
the world, which is passing away, as is shown by the appearance of
antichrists. He who would not pass away must abide in Christ. With
the idea of sonship, introduced by the expression "begotten of God," the
epistle takes a fresh start. This divine sonship implies mutual love
among God's children and the indwelling of Christ, to which the Spirit
testifies. The mention of the Spirit leads on to the distinction between
true and false spirits. By a rather subtle connection this once more
leads to the topic of mutual love, and to faith as the source of love, es-
pecially as shown in intercessory prayer. The whole closes with a sum-
mary of the knowledge on which the moral principles inculcated in the
epistle are based, and with a warning against idols.
The main characteristics of this epistle, says Barnes, are these: 1. It is
full of love. The writer dwells on it; places it in a variety of attitudes;
enforces the duty of loving one another by a great variety of considera-
tions, and shows that it is essential to the very nature of religion. 2. The
epistle abounds with statements on the evidences of piety, or the char-
acteristics of true religion. . . . A large part of the epistle is occupied
with this, and there is perhaps no portion of the New Testament which
one could study to more advantage who is desirous of ascertaining
whether he himself is a true Christian. An anxious inquirer, a man
who wishes to know what true religion is, could be directed to no portion
of the New Testament where he would more readily find the instruction
that he needs, than to this portion of the writings of the aged and ex-
perienced disciple whom Jesus loved. A true Christian can find no-
where else a more clear statement of the nature of his religion, and of
the evidences of real piety, than in this epistle.
NOTE.
The portion of Scripture designated for each lesson should be so thor-
oughly studied that every question can be answered
in the exact words of
the text.
The questions are framed with the purpose to make this possi•
ble. It is hoped that the notes will be found suggestive and helpful in
the further development of the thought of the lesson. Teachers should
encourage a careful study of
the ideas
presented, and, above all, should
seek to make such a practical application of the subject matter as will
be a help in personal experience.